Hamsah Nasirildeen described as a winner, physical, QB on defense

Concord High head football coach Glen Padgett describes newest South Carolina commit Hamsah Nasirildeen, a four-star safety/WR, as a player and person.

What kind of football player is South Carolina getting?

“South Carolina is getting, number one, a winner. He’s a four-year starter for us. He started as a freshman and the last three years he’s a part of a program that’s gone 40-4 in three years, and he’s been a big part of that all three of those years. As a senior this year we’re counting on his leadership because we lost some key seniors. He’s a winner and we’re counting on that this year from our perspective. He’s an excellent football player and an even better young man. He’s a student of the game. He’s very physical. He brings it every play. He makes plays on both sides of the ball. He’s one of the few kids we have that plays both ways. He brings it and makes plays on both sides of the ball. Obviously South Carolina’s going to utilize him on defense, but he’s a playmaker for us. He’s one of those rarities that was all-conference on both sides of the ball in a conference that has 10 teams. That tells you what kind of ability and talent and work ethic he has. He was our leading receiver in addition to starting safety.”

What was the recruiting process like for him?

“He handled it fine. He’s very level-headed. I think it overwhelmed him a little bit because you go from very little attention to a lot of attention in a matter of a few months, but at the same time he kept the right approach about it. South Carolina did an outstanding job of recruiting him, especially the DBs coach (Travaris Robinson) and coach (Bobby) Bentley. Those guys have done just a great job of recruiting him and selling him on their vision of what South Carolina football is going to be about over the coming years.”

In what ways did South Carolina recruit him well?

“For one, I think he feels like he can contribute soon. Two, he trusts them. They’ve been very proactive in communications and the things they need to do to make people see the positives that are coming with South Carolina Gamecocks football. They did a good job of relaying that and communicating that to him. At the end of the day it came down to comfort, trust in the coaches that are there and how well they got to know him, not only as a player but as a person, because he’s a very family-oriented young man, and proximity. It gives his family an opportunity to get down and see him without flying across the country.”

What particularly does he do well as a safety?

“He’s outstanding getting downhill. He’s an excellent open-field tackler, very physical. He’s got excellent speed and excellent range. He’s our quarterback on defense. He calls all our coverages and makes all our secondary adjustments. He does all of that stuff and he does it well.”

How do you see him fitting South Carolina’s scheme?

“I think he fits in well with what they do schematically. He brings the same skill set that they’re looking for, people that have range and are physical tacklers, but can also cover.”

What kind of guy is he off the field?

“He’s a wonderful young man to be around. He’s very personable. He’s teammates enjoy him, they love him. He’s got a great perspective of what this game is about, not only as a game but what it can help you do later on in life. He’s a wonderful young man, and he’s very coachable. He studies the game and does the things we as coaches want our players to do.”

This story was originally published August 17, 2016 at 11:28 AM with the headline "Hamsah Nasirildeen described as a winner, physical, QB on defense."